New Senate leadership tussle is a throwback to the old days

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

56% : When Daschle lost a reelection bid in 2004, Reid, who had been his No. 2 and had taken very good care of his colleagues on the Senate floor for years, had secured the votes to replace him before any potential opponents could do more than think about seeking the job.
44% : "Currently the No. 3 in Senate Republican leadership, Barrasso opted out of the fight for No. 1 and appears to have locked up the votes for the No. 2 position next year, moving up a notch.
34% : "It was a much longer run," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said about the 1984 race compared with this year's.
19% : With many of the big party guns running for leader, Simpson, like Barrasso, opted for No. 2 and triumphed, only to be knocked off 10 years later in an upset by Sen. Trent Lott of Mississippi -- even though Simpson believed he had the votes to prevail and the backing of Dole.

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